Farmers Market links local entrepreneurs to downtown

Saturday

Jul 13, 2013 at 12:01 AMJul 13, 2013 at 4:35 PM

In the 1960s and ’70s, a small Curb Market, located on George Street operated out of a vacant City owned building. Throughout the years, its image deteriorated as sales stagnated and the customer base dwindled.

By Susan Moffat-Thomas, Swiss Bear Development Corp.

Part of a continuing series that appears every other week.

In the 1960s and ’70s, a small Curb Market, located on George Street operated out of a vacant City owned building. Throughout the years, its image deteriorated as sales stagnated and the customer base dwindled. With the new focus on the revitalization of the downtown, Gary Bleau, chairman of the Chamber of Commerce Agri-Business Committee conceived the idea of developing a Farmers Market in the downtown area to provide economic opportunities for farmers and local entrepreneurs. An active, progressive Farmers Market would link the rural and urban population and generate traffic to the downtown.

At the Nov. 21, 1979, Swiss Bear Board of Director’s meeting, to garner and expand support for this idea, he presented preliminary plans to build a new farmers market, preferably on urban renewal land. The board embraced the project understanding it could enhance the downtown revitalization and waterfront redevelopment effort and began working with the City, Chamber and the Craven County Cooperative Extension Service to secure a small tract of land from the City and acquire grant funds to construct a market on the urban renewal land.

Although vendors from the Curb Market presented a petition in February 1980 to the board of aldermen protesting construction of a new farmers market, the City sanctioned the creation of the Farmers Market Planning Committee composed of members of the Chamber, Swiss Bear and Extension Service and urged them to move forward.

The committee applied for incorporation as a nonprofit organization, developed by-laws and appointed a board of directors that included a representative from the Chamber, Swiss Bear, County Agriculture Extension Service and the County government.

The City agreed to lease a portion of the urban renewal land (renamed Bicentennial Park) near the western edge bordered by the railroad tracks and Tryon Palace Drive (now South Front Street) to the nonprofit Board to construct a building and operate as a Farmers Market for 30 years at $1 per year.

With assistance from N.C. Main Street architect, Jo Ramsey, the design work for the open air structure by Chamber Executive Bill Edwards was finalized and approved by the Historic Preservation Committee. In April 1982, the Farmers Market Board received a special appropriation of $125,000 from the state legislature for construction of the new facility.

The new market began operating on May 14, 1983 in an open-air environment until the building could be constructed which was delayed due to property issues with the Southern Railway, which owned an eight-foot strip of land running down the middle of the Farmers Market property. After a period of negotiation, the City obtained an agreement with the railroad and the new open-air building was constructed with room for 30 producers in the building and space for producers outside.

In the late 1980’s, during the tenure of Tom Barton, chairman, Billy Dunham, vice chairman and myself as treasurer, the Market Board recognized and supported the effort to acquire funding to enclose the building for year-round use as a market and a facility that could be rented for special events. As an open air pavilion, its use was limited to operating as a market April through October. We submitted a grant application to the N.C. Department of Agriculture and received $52,500 in the spring of 1987 used to enclose the building, install a heating system, enlarge the parking area and landscape the grounds.

The Market board hired a market manager, operated the Market Wednesday and Saturday’s and aggressively marketed rental of the building for on-going activities, concerts, private rentals, and community events.

In the spring of 1989, the New Bern Noon Rotary Club and the New Bern Breakfast Rotary Club donated $10,500 toward the purchase and installation of the wrought iron and brick fence around the perimeter of the property to enhance and control use of the Market for concert/event rentals, especially those charging an entry fee. At that time, the Rotary Club’s rented the Market for the Labor Day Weekend Michelob Cup Regatta, which included an evening concert and awards party.

Market vendors are required to join the market for an annual fee and must meet their “grow it, bake it, sew it, make it” rules to rent a space. The twenty member board of directors, chaired by Joe Hunt, is responsible for operating the market year round every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and conducting a year round calendar of events. Vendor and rental fees are used for marketing and the on-going maintenance of the property and building.

Throughout the years, the property’s value, space constraints for expansion, parking and minimal hours led to numerous discussions in the previous administration between the City and Market board to include relocation to a larger more visible location in the greater downtown area on a major corridor to service more people, be open five days a week, and serve as an incubator for start-up small businesses (seafood, and other food stuffs).

With the expiration of the 30 year lease in October 2012, the City renewed the lease for 36 months. The City has the option to terminate the lease with a one year notice and the Market Board has the option in 2015 to renew the lease for two more years under the same terms. Parking in the Farmers Market is also available for public parking except for overnight parking, during market operating hours or when it is rented for use by private groups.

The Farmers Market, like many other strategies, played an important role in the redevelopment of the waterfront and downtown effort. Well-loved for both its local fresh produce and other offerings, the Farmers Market is a social hub that brings the community together and more and more people downtown every week.

The Farmers Market is now open Tuesday from 10 to 2 pm. For more information go to newbernfarmersmarket.org.

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